PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies activated Justin Bour from the 10-day disabled list prior to Sunday's game against the Cubs, bringing their active roster to 32 players.
Bour had strained his left oblique during his final swing on Aug. 22 and was placed on the DL the next day. Obliques can be nagging injuries, but Bour was confident that wouldn't be the case with this one after spending the minimum time needed on the DL. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler agreed with that assessment after an 8-1 loss to the Cubs on Sunday.
"Absolutely," Kapler said. "We considered hitting him [off the bench] just to get his timing going at the end of the game, but we thought better of it. Figured that one more day to fully recover and be ready for [Monday's] game was the right move."
The Phillies had little reason to keep Bour on the DL, considering teams can carry up to 40 players on the roster in September.
Since being traded from the Marlins to the Phillies on Aug. 10, Bour has hit .250 with one home run and two walks in 22 plate appearances. He's made three starts, but he will likely join Dylan Cozens as the Phillies' two left-handed options off the bench for most of the season's final month.